Should I Pick Up the Plugs After Aerating?

If you’re a homeowner, chances are you already know the importance of aerating your lawn.

This process ensures that oxygen and nutrients can penetrate the soil, thereby encouraging healthy root growth for your grass. However, it’s not unusual to find unsightly plugs of soil lying around post-aeration – in fact, it’s a telltale sign that the service has been done properly.

You might be wondering if you should leave them be or pick them up.

In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into this common lawn care concern and provide you with everything you need to know.

First off, let’s tackle the question on everyone’s mind:

Should You Leave Plugs on the Ground After Aerating?

The answer is a resounding yes. These soil plugs are essential to the lawn’s health and should be left to decompose naturally. Over time, they will break down and release valuable nutrients back into the soil, which is essential for your grass’s growth. Furthermore, the holes left by the soil plugs help to improve drainage and promote stronger root growth in the long run.

However, the key to ensuring that these plugs decompose effectively is to keep them moist. Keeping your lawn well-watered after aeration will help the plugs break down more quickly and benefit your lawn’s health.

Why You Should Think Twice About Picking Plugs Up

Some homeowners may want to pick up the plugs for aesthetic reasons. After all, who wants unsightly soil plugs littering the lawn? We get it. But we do recommend resisting the urge to tidy up after an aeration service is completed.

However, if you plan to pick them up, you should know that it can be a labor-intensive process and NEVER pick up plugs if you’ve had aeration & seeding service, as disturbing the germination process will impact its effectiveness:

1. It is best to use a rake to collect the plugs (only be practical if you have a small lawn)
2. Dispose of the collected plugs in a compost pile or fill in low spots in your yard

Leave Soil Plugs On Your Lawn For Best Results

They help to decompose and release valuable nutrients back into the soil, which encourages healthier grass growth overall. However, if the plugs are unsightly and you wish to pick them up, you can use a rake for small lawns. It’s best to keep the collected plugs in a compost pile to benefit the environment even further. Ultimately, the decision lies with you, but we strongly suggest that you save yourself the trouble and leave them be.

Your lawn will thank you for it.